Chris "Birdman" Andersen Will Be Soaring a Mile High for Years to Come

After a few weeks of wondering, the Nuggets secured their biggest free agent tonight, Chris Andersen.

Andersen has reportedly signed a five-year, $25 million contract with Denver.

Andersen began his career with the Nuggets in 2001, and developed steadily over his first three years. However, he was released in 2004 and signed with New Orleans.

After testing positive for drugs, Andersen was suspended from the NBA for two seasons.

Birdman flew high in Denver in the 2008-09 season, showing he was definitely worthy of the Nuggets' signing before last year, and worthy again this time around.

Last year, Andersen had easily the best and most productive season of his seven-year NBA career. Birdman averaged 6.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and an amazing 2.5 blocks per game. The blocks per contest were second best in the NBA to Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard, and Andersen only played 20 minutes a game, much less than Howard.

Andersen is constantly in motion, running, leaping and soaring around the court—as his energy is infectious.

On offense, his skills are limited; as he doesn't have a jumpshot, can't dribble and doesn't have a post game. Basically, the only play Birdman can make on offense is on the dunk end of an alley-oop.

For the Nuggets, Andersen's defensive prowess is something unseen since the days of Mt. Mutombo.

Birdman is a better-than-solid backup big man for the Nuggets, and his contract is deceiving. While $25 million to a player who, with one more drug-related slipup could be out of the league forever seems too much, Denver could come out looking wise.

The first year is reported to be worth $3 million, and the last year $8 million. The Nuggets can keep Birdman around for a few years, then trade his expiring contract, escaping the large payday down the line.

Andersen's worth isn't all on-court though, as he has quickly become the fan favorite in Denver's baby blue. The Birdman is a spectacle that is worth enjoying in person—if not for his play, then his wild tattoos and hair.

What shouldn't be lost here though, something that ESPN's Michael Wilbon brought up on PTI, is the fact that the Birdman is white. White fans clamor for a white player they could "be one day," and the ironic bit of it all is that, sadly—the Birdman is not who anyone should want to be.

In the end, Birdman is a player that Denver must have on their roster, and it was a good move to sign him to a long-term deal. He can backup the injury-riddled Nene and Kenyon Martin, just in case one of them goes down, and can rebound and in block shots coming off the bench as well.

Now Denver moves on in free agency after meeting their two most pressing needs in backup point guard, Ty Lawson, and re-signing the Birdman, the Nuggets' most electrifying spectacle of a basketball player.